Shat"ter , n. A fragment of
anything shattered; -- used chiefly or soley in the phrase
into shatters; as, to break a glass into shatters.
Swift.
Shat"ter , v. i. To be broken into fragments; to fall or crumble to pieces by any force
applied.
Some fragile bodies break but where the
force is; some shatter and fly in many places.
Bacon.
Shat"ter (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shattered (?);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Shattering.]
[OE. schateren, scateren, to scatter, to dash, AS.
scateran; cf. D. schateren to crack, to make a great
noise, OD. schetteren to scatter, to burst, to crack. Cf. Scatter.]
1. To break
at once into many pieces; to dash, burst, or part violently into fragments; to rend into splinters; as, an explosion shatters a rock or a bomb; too much steam shatters a boiler; an oak is shattered by lightning.
A monarchy was shattered to pieces, and divided amongst revolted
subjects.
Locke. 2. To disorder; to derange; to render unsound; as, to be shattered in intellect; his constitution was shattered; his hopes were shattered.
A man of a loose, volatile, and shattered
humor.
Norris.
3. To scatter about.
[Obs.]
Shatter your leaves before the mellowing year.
Milton.
Hear it pronounced